"Flavours of Alentejo - Biking Tour in Southern Portugal. Gastronomy, landscape and culture."

Olive grooves, vineyards and cork trees are part of the Alentejo plains landscape. White washed houses, the rural atmosphere and gastronomy surround by ancient history boost southern Portugal charm and quietness away from tourism routes.



Day 01
After a Meet&Greet at Lisbon or Faro airport, we will travel to a Pousada in Beja.
Dominating vast views of the golden plains, the capital of the Lower Alentejo is a major centre for the production of wheat, olives and cork, essential to the county.
Beja is a city of historic and social importance, but it preserves the pleasant and unassuming aspect of an inland town with it narrow and cobbled streets of the old town stretch from the beautiful castle keep (late 13th century) to the Convent of St. Francis. Beja’s oldest church, Santo Amaro, has Visigoth origins and displays a collection of relics from this early period of Portugal’s history (415-711).
(D) [São Francisco Convent Pousada-Beja]

Day 02
Through the vast plains of deep Alentejo, we will cycle day through the plains, the ancient stones, the small and interesting white washed small villages with colorful blue windows and doors, are a must see in the UNESCO city of Évora.
One of the main attractions of Alentejo is that, while you can enjoy vast open spaces still unspoilt by tourism, the towns and villages offer a wide variety of architectural styles, monuments and historical sites, often inserted in landscapes of great beauty. Such is the case of this district. Évora, the capital, declared in 1986 by the UNESCO a World Heritage Site, more than justifies this choice: an enchanting walled city, with an unique atmosphere in the streets of the old town, filled with restaurants and handicraft shops, and historical monuments like the ruins of the roman temple, the 15th-century Convent of Lóios and the cathedral begun in 1186, together with houses exhibiting bright white arcades and balconies of wrought iron. In spite of its historical interest, the fact of being an university town brings it new life.
(BL) [Évora] +-75km

Day 03
Frozen in time, Monsaraz medieval village is composed not only by landscape and schist made houses, it people and the changing of the biggest water dam in Iberian peninsula turn this small place in fascinating spot surrounded by megalithic stones and millenary olive grooves.
(BL) [Monsaraz] +-45km

Day 04
After the expulsion of the Moors in 1226, this hillside town was named Vila Viçosa-“fertile valley”. In the 15Th century in became the country seat of the dukes of Bragança, and when the 8Th Duke became King JoãoIV, Vila Viçosa was expanded to meet the needs of nobles and visiting ministers. Substantial houses, built from the local white marble, in streets lined with oranges trees, reflect its prosperous royal past. The marvelous royal palace it’s waiting for our visit.
Vila Viçosa is a scrupulously clean town, full of flowers and streets lined with orange-trees and proud of its monuments (such as the 13th-century castle, the Agostinhos Church or the Renaissance Chagas Convent) and of its stately houses decorated with the local "white gold" (marble)
(BL) [Vila Viçosa] +-56km

Day 05
Rising on a hilltop, Estremoz is surrounded by two sets of fortified walls: the first was built in the 13th century around the medieval upper town and a second line of fortified ramparts was constructed to protect the lower zone during the War of Restoration against Spain (1640-48).
The old town is an enchanting place with its narrow and winding streets lined by whitewashed houses with a great variety of typical chimneys. However, Estremoz's «drawing-room» is the great main square known as Rossio, where an animated rural market is held weekly and the Municipal Museum displays interesting collections.
One of its main attractions is the famous red clay pottery of Estremoz, richly decorated with patterns or floral motifs. Besides being traditionally used for jars that keep the water cool, it has also been employed to create the typical bonecos of Estremoz, little painted figurines representing an enormous variety of characters, from religious images to quaint shepherds, peasant women, soldiers...
(BL) [Estremoz] +-32km

Day 06
At the time of the second half of the fourteenth century, friar Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira, the hospital prior, ordered the building of the Pousada Flor da Rosa Monastery, where he would live, in the places which formed the annex.
Crato became an important town in Portugal´s history when the Order of the Hospitallers received from king Sancho II, in 1232, vast territories in the Alto Alentejo region.
By 1350, after the battle of Salado, the Order´s headquarters were established there and Crato gained prestige and prosperity. However, in 1662, an invading Spanish army sacked and burned the town, which never recovered its past eminence.
An avenue of orange trees leads to the Mother Church, dating from the 13th century but much altered since then, and now exhibiting 18th-century tiles with fishing, hunting and traveling scenes.
(BL) [Flor da Rosa Pousada-Crato] +-60km

Day 07
The seventh day promises to be one of the most beautiful biking days and a hilly one up to The small traditional houses of Marvão, a medieval town with walls dating from the thirteenth century, seem to squeeze the narrow little streets that wind between them.
Located on an escarpment only a few miles from Spain, this tranquil town is completely surrounded by walls dating from the 13th to the 17th century. From the narrow streets filled with neat white houses a spectacular view can be obtained, as Marvão stands at more than 862 metres (2900 feet) high.
Marvão lies in the area of the Natural Park of Serra de São Mamede, with a wide range of flora and fauna due to its geological diversity and varying climate. It is the home of one of the largest colonies of bats in Europe, but also of deer, boars, Bonnelli eagles, griffon vultures, etc.
Historic vestiges go back to prehistoric times, having been found various megaliths and an important roman site.
(BL) [Santa Maria Pousada-Marvão] +-45km

Day 08
This day will be dedicated day to departures and tour connections. Or, you may choose to stay longer. Contact your guide for more information.
(B)

To contact this tour operator please use the contact form on the right.

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Price/Person: 2495 EUR
Number of participants
Duration: Hours

Area: Alentejo
Accomodation is included in this tour: This tour includes: a local English speaking biking tour leader/guide. Transportation from and to Lisbon airport. Accommodation based on twin sharing room. 1 dinner; 6 lunches; 7 breakfasts. Luggage transportation. Travel insurance. Run year round with fixed departures every Sunday. Easy and soft biking route. Prices are per person based on double shared room. Meals & Activities as per itinerary [(B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch on tour, (D) Dinner at local restaurant]. All transfers as specified. Road Guide. Support Vehicle. Bike and Helmet Rental. Taxes. Single room supplement: 890€ Price per person based on double shared room: 2495€ Conditions: Minimum 2 Pax Details: Itinerary almost flat with one hilly day Total biking kilometers ±320 Depart/End: Lisbon or Faro Airport/ Faro or Lisbon Airport. Run year round with fixed departures every Sunday of each month.

The Guide is able to understand this language also    
   english
   french
   portuguese
   spanish

Special Hints: Olive grooves, vineyards and cork trees are part of the Alentejo plains landscape. White washed houses, the rural atmosphere and gastronomy surround by ancient history boost southern Portugal charm and quietness away from tourism routes.

edited at 30.04.07 | 12:47 AM
last update 15.10.07 | 7:24 PM

Guide details

Bartolomeu - Planeta Terra

Web: To contact this tour operator please use the contact form on the right.
Phone Number: ---
Vita
Life is the biggest adventure we can achieve!
Planeta Terra is a Portugal based Tour Operator. Having nature and adventure as pillars for tourism services.
Walking, Biking, Sailing, Over landing, and Adventure Event Management for groups and private. Built in a
multidisciplinary team of dedicated professionals, Planeta Terra beliefs are that tourism can change mentalities
as mentalities can change tourism. Traveling open people horizons, show us other cultures, traditions and
people, brings us new experiences, new feelings and many more strong stimulations that might help human
kind to grow up as individuals so all of us can increase society standards on a global understanding scale to
achieve happiness and quality of life. Currently we offer as destinations: Portugal (mainland) and Spanish
border areas of Galicia, Extremadura, and Andalusia for Walking/Biking/Sailing tours, and Morocco, Mauritania,
Mali, Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Libya and Algeria for Overland Expeditions.

edited at 27.04.07 | 7:30 PM
last update 21.06.07 | 11:46 AM

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